Andrew Horne

McConnell is one of the few politicians AIPAC doesn’t have to strong-arm.

Fun tidbit: during the 2006 congressional primary between John Yarmuth and Andrew Horne, AIPAC was digging its heels in deep. They couldn’t get Yarmuth to budge so they tried to pressure Horne into everything under the sun. They tried so many underhanded campaign finance tricks that eventually I stopped taking their calls and refused to let them have any interaction with Horne. It got pretty nasty. So watching people like McConnell play pat-a-cake with them? Uh, hardly a positive.

NOTE: W&R is only required to provide information while someone is in their employ, not after an employment relationship ceases. So “Present” wouldn’t accurately reflect when Reilly’s employment ended.

Even more proof of his super-strong ties to the Democratic Party.

No mention of Horne’s 2006 U.S. Congressional campaign, on which Reilly worked. Or any mention of working for Hilton/Musselman Hotels. We’re pretty sure one’s entire career history must be on file with FINRA.

If I’m not mistaken, I believe Horne has also served as an attorney for Reilly in the past.

Reilly allegedly told at least two campaign consultants that he left his job with Waddell & Reed to run Progress Kentucky. Both of those consultants alleged that Reilly claimed to be raising $5 million – $6 million (editors note: ha) and putting together a field campaign with offices around the state. Never mind that there’s not a chance in hell he could raise that kind of scratch or duplicate what a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate would already be doing – because that would be a waste of resources.

Politico’s headline about the McConnell – Progress Kentucky scandal is a good one:

Amateur hour in politics

There are some hilarious quotes peppered throughout the story like these:

“Anybody can say anything they want and be treated as if they were part of a 200 year old political party,” said Paul Begala, a longtime Democratic Party hand who blasted the group for its activities.

-SNIP-

“I am not a conspiracy buff,” said Begala. But “I’m not convinced that Progress Kentucky isn’t a Republican plant.”

And there’s this hilarious moment:

Reilly also hasn’t responded to phone calls, but a POLITICO reporter on Friday received a three-minute voicemail from Reilly’s phone number.

Two males can be heard talking and laughing in the message, but they did not appear to be speaking into the phone. The call cuts off with a string of expletives.

But what stood out the most was Andrew Horne who apparently claimed Shawn Reilly was a volunteer on his campaign:

Morrison and Reilly both worked on the campaign of Andrew Horne, a retired Marine Lt. Col. who retired in 2006 and came home to run against the Iraq War. Horne remembers both men as committed volunteers, willing to engage in the grunt work of knocking on doors. He was surprised by the accusation.

“The passion sometimes maybe clouds their judgment,” Horne said. “I don’t think either one of them would intentionally commit a crime.”

Horne, who lent his name to the fundraiser, said Democrats in Kentucky didn’t rush to embrace Progress Kentucky.

“Before all this stuff blew up … I think people were sort of wait and see,” he said.

One can only assume that Horne didn’t mean to misspeak because Reilly was a paid employee of his congressional campaign:

Click Here for Part One: Speaking Of Progress Kentucky’s Shawn Reilly And Other Problems…

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Shortly after the request for a Special Bailiff was made in the Zachary Scarpellini murder/manslaughter civil suit, Shawn Reilly surfaced in Louisville working on the Congressional campaign of Democrat and Iraq War veteran Andrew Horne. (Full disclosure: I was a part of the Horne Campaign but that’s where my involvement in that part of the story ends)

Horne, who lost in the May 2006 primary to now-Congressman John Yarmuth, employed Reilly to staff fundraising events, hold house parties and organize voters. But he wasn’t just handling campaign grunt work. Reilly worked himself into the good graces of campaign leadership within a matter of weeks. In no time at all, he was participating in strategy sessions and attending meetings involving Democratic Party officials.

Reilly’s time on the campaign didn’t end as smoothly as it began, though, as he hit a bit of a wall. Just before the Primary Election, Reilly – who had recently returned from South Carolina – attempted to cast an absentee vote. That’s where the road got rocky.

The political news world was hot with the story of 8,000 voters being purged from the rolls in Kentucky by Secretary of State Trey Grayson. Democrats, incensed over national coverage of similar stories, were convinced that Grayson, a Republican, had nixed people illegally. Shawn Reilly claimed he was one of those people who was allegedly illegally purged.

When Shawn Reilly went to cast an absentee ballot recently, he found out he was among more than 8,000 people removed from voter rolls in Kentucky because they appeared to be registered in other states as well.

Reillys situation illustrates concerns the attorney generals office has with the move to purge Kentuckys voter rolls. Attorney General Greg Stumbo is seeking a court ruling to restore the names before next Tuesdays primary election.

Reilly, a 23-year-old University of Louisville student, says he will plead his case to local election officials on primary election day if a judge doesnt rule.

-SNIP-

Reillys case, meanwhile, has some special circumstances.

He initially registered as a Republican in 2000 a fact Reilly said he didnt realize until Wednesday; he said hes never voted for a Republican. Reilly listed his party affiliation as Democrat when he registered in March.

Due to a technicality, however, he wouldnt have been eligible to vote in partisan races next week, Fugate said. Reillys March filing wasnt considered a new registration because he was still on voter rolls in Kentucky, Fugate said. Instead, it simply was considered a change in party affiliation, he said. Thus, Reilly missed the Dec. 31, 2005, deadline to change party affiliation and still be eligible to vote in partisan elections in the May 16 primary, Fugate said.

Reilly said he considered his March filing to be a new registration, since he had moved back from South Carolina, where he previously attended school.

-SNIP-

Meanwhile, Reilly said he was cooperating with the attorney generals office in its case and signed an affidavit recounting his situation.

Reilly wasn’t illegally purged, as you can see. No one was.

What the AP story doesn’t reveal to you is that Reilly appeared at a press conference featuring a representative from Attorney General Greg Stumbo’s office and candidate Andrew Horne. Reilly pleaded his case before television cameras, claiming there had been a Republican con job, that he was a victim. That couldn’t have been further from the truth and he had dragged both the Office of the Attorney General and the entirety of a political campaign into a false claim of Republican corruption.

The other tidbit the AP story doesn’t reveal is that after that press conference, the campaign spokesperson sent Reilly home to obtain his voter registration card. That’s when the story all but died. Because that voter registration card revealed his status was not that of being registered within the Democratic Party in South Carolina. It was an embarrassing way to end an already failing campaign.

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The following months saw Reilly attempt to run unsuccessfully for president of the Young Democrats while getting more deeply involved with the local Democratic Party. And on the surface, he appeared to be taking a break from the public eye.

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Toward the end of 2006, Kentucky’s political world was heating up for the 2007 gubernatorial race. In light of then-Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher’s nationally known foibles, Democrats were excited. So excited that former Lieutenant Governor Steve Henry was chomping at the bit to launch his campaign.

Fresh off the Horne Campaign, I was in need of a job to pay the bills. So the campaign manager connected me with Henry and I was hired to be his Director of Finance. After a few weeks on the job, I uncovered massive corruption on Henry’s part, promptly resigned and turned all the evidence over to the Kentucky State Police Special Investigations Unit.

What ensued was a nearly three-year investigation that culminated in Henry pleading guilty to three charges of campaign finance fraud: using funds from a federal campaign account for a state-level race and using funds from two non-profit agencies to pay for his failed gubernatorial bid. On top of the counts to which he pleaded, Henry was forced to forfeit $600,000 and received a 12-month jail sentence that was deferred. Throughout the ordeal, he blamed everyone but himself.

Former Lt. Gov. Steve Henry accepted a plea deal Tuesday for three misdemeanors related to misusing campaign resources during his failed 2007 run in the Democratic primary for governor.

Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate sentenced Henry, 56, to a $500 fine and $156 in court costs, plus 12 months in jail, with the jail time suspended on the condition that Henry avoid further criminal problems for two years.

After nearly 2.5 years of scrutiny and investigation, former Lieutenant Governor Steve Henry takes a plea deal for violating campaign laws.

Henry didn’t admit his guilt but he did admit there’s enough evidence to possibly convict him.

-SNIP-

Special Prosecutor James Crawford said, “his client stood up there and plead guilty so obviously somebody is concerned about the facts behind the case.”

Crawford says the evidence against Henry is overwhelming, starting with testimony from Henry’s former aid, Leslie Holland, the woman who brought the allegations of campaign finance fraud to the Attorney General.

All that’s relevant because shortly after news broke in every media outlet under the sun that Henry was under investigation – and those media outlets provided evidence to back up claims – Reilly sought Henry out for a job on his campaign. After weeks upon weeks of negative stories and law enforcement interviews, I have to reiterate that Reilly sought Henry out.

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After the gubernatorial race and Henry’s loss, Reilly found himself involved with organizations like Public Campaign Action Fund, efforts like the anti-war Iraq Summer campaign and appeared set on remaining in the public eye. For him, it seemed as if the Scarpellini case was a thing of the past.

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If you can’t listen for whatever reason, here’s a transcript:

“I’m calling Christians all across Kentucky about Rand Paul. As a young man, Rand Paul’s men’s club mocked Christians and Christ. The Baylor University president condemned him as rude, crude and grossly sacrilegious.

“Rand Paul said recently, he believes tax deductions for charitable donations are bad. And that President George Bush’s faith-based initiatives are quote, ‘a horrible mistake.’

“Do your own research. See that these quotes aren’t out-of-context. They’re Rand Paul’s own beliefs and his own words. The question is, ‘are they yours?’

I don’t like criticizing Andrew Horne, but give me a break. His wife and others have spent the past two months telling everybody and their mother that Andrew’s part of a new organization focused on taking Rand Paul down. So he needs to can it with the non-partisan talking point. P.S. How can a group consider itself political leaders when they’re all outsiders or have never been elected? [CQ Politics]

Does anybody remember what it was like to have a KDP chair who wasn’t a Republican? I sure do and I miss those days. Well, I mean I miss the idea of a chairperson who isn’t a Republican or isn’t acting a thousand times worse than a Republican, as a few previous chairs have. It’s too bad Kentucky’s Democrats are being hung out to dry. [Oh, The Possibilities]

The Second Annual Golden Poo Awards are upon us! I will drive you crazy every day for like two whole weeks, for fun. So go nominate someone for yesterday’s category. [Page One]

The gayest man alive, Ted Haggard, still says he’s not gay. His homo prostitute with meth situation was just a massage gone wrong. What will gayface say next? Jesus h. [Talking Points Memo]

The Animal Legal Defense Fund says Kentucky is one of the top five worst states in the nation for pets. Old news, but quite relevant. [The Bark]

Folks in Ohio don’t have too many nice things about Jack Conway’s new communications director.Won’t miss this guy. His snippy, evasive, condescending answers always got on my nerves. Hope his trip across the river to Kentucky improves his attitude because I really, really, really do not want to see Rand Paul in the Senate next year. [Ohio Daily]

HAHAHA! The NRCC is pretending that Ben Chandler is an actual Democrat! Kentuckians know better than that. [B&P]

Mitch McConnell sent out a press release saying he’s on Facebook and YouTube. And he said “Web site” instead of “website” – showing just how many decades late he is. [Press Release]

Rand Paul wants to discriminate against disabled veterans. So what’s he do on the 20th anniversary of the ADA? Blames Jack Conway. [WHAS11]

If you live in Kentucky and can buy food, there’s little reason you shouldn’t be eating in a healthful manner. Go out of your way if you have to. Or find a farmers market in your area. Click the link to find one in your neck of the woods. [Click the Clicky]

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